Introduction: 3D Printed Wheelchair Racing Gloves (Push Gloves)

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About: Wichita State’s undergraduate certificate in assistive technology and accessible design is an interdisciplinary program teaches students to design and build products that improve learning, working and daily li…

Wichita Adaptive Sports is a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of adaptive sports and recreation in south-central Kansas. They wanted to support their wheelchair track athletes--elementary to high school-aged--with custom 3-D printed push gloves. These gloves are used for both training and competition by the wheelchair athletes to both limit injury to their hands and improve performance; they allow the athlete to push their wheelchair by applying force to the ring of the wheelchair and pushing it forward with the tension created by the gloves rather that grasping it with their bare hands and potentially causing injury. It is also more efficient as the athlete does not have to continually grab and release the ring they simply have to push their hand and arm forward.

Supplies

Materials:

  1. PLA filament in the color of your choice
  2. Ribbon Elastic Stretch Sewing Craft Elastic Band (1" width and approximately 36" length)
  3. 1/8" rubber sheet (3" x 10' roll)
  4. Gorilla Glue
  5. Gorilla Super Glue

Tools:

  1. 3D Printer PLA capable
  2. Scissors

Step 1: Meet the Athletes

We were able to get in contact with the athletes through our contacts with the Wichita Adaptive Sports program and were able to arrange a meeting time to get to know our customers and their needs. We met at the YMCA and learned how wheelchair racing chairs operate and what specifications they were looking for in their gloves. We were able to take these suggestions and incorporate them into our final design, including a need for multiple sizes.

Step 2: Using the 3D Printer

The 3D printers we used were Maker Bot Replicators. Both the large and the smaller models were used in the manufacturing of the gloves. The primary material used was PLA plastic although ABA plastic could be a good alternative for the design.

Important Note: When you import the files into the Maker Bot slicer, make sure units are set to meters.

When using the printer, you will need the following:

1. Thumb drive (any type will be fine)

2. STL or OBJ file type for your design

The following list is a general guideline to operating a Maker Bot printer:

1. Download the STL/OBJ file to your thumb drive

2. Insert your thumb drive into the central console that converts the STL/OBJ file into a printable file

3. Change the shell type to 5 shells when using PLA

4. Change the infill density to 30% when using PLA

5. Set Extruder speed solid to 50 mm/s and sparse extruder speed to 60 mm/s

6. Set the infill density to 10% and check the box for support under bridges and breakaway supports

7. Export the newly converted file to your thumb drive

8. Insert your thumb drive into the printer and select the file you converted

9. Press the print button (Be sure that there is enough PLA in the spool before printing)

Step 3: Downloadable STL Files

Select a size by downloading the corresponding STL file.

Four sizes were designed:

  • Kids size is for elementary-aged children
  • Small is a youth size for younger teenagers
  • Medium is the young adult to adult size
  • Large is a larger adult size

Attachments

Step 4: Adding the Hand Strap

For this portion of the project you will need the following materials:

  1. Ribbon Elastic Stretch Sewing Craft Elastic Band (Approximately in Length and 1" in Width, in the color of your choice
  2. Gorilla Super Glue
  3. Glove

To attach the strap to the glove:

  1. Thread one end of the end of strap through top band hole towards the bottom band hole; do not worry about strap length at this time but make sure it's at least 1.5 times the length of the glove.
  2. Dap super glue on the end of the elastic strap already threaded through; fold over about a 1/4 inch and hold at least 15 seconds. Repeat so the edge of the band is no longer visible.
  3. Pull the remaining elastic strap towards the bottom of the glove and thread the very bottom strap hole and through the one directly above it; Adjust so the strap is the preferred tautness. Trim the end of the elastic band so only about an inch is pulled through.
  4. Repeat step 2.
  5. Hide ends by tucking into the strap.

The Link where we purchased the material is https://www.amazon.com/BENECREAT-Ribbon-Elastic-St...

Step 5: Adding a Rubber Strip

Supplies:

  1. 1/8th inch rubber sheet (3" x 10' roll pictured)
  2. Gorilla Glue
  3. Scissors
  4. Glove

Add a rubber pad to the bottom of the glove using the following steps:

  1. Cut out a rubber shape that covers the striking region of the racing glove.
  2. Apply gorilla glue to the back side of the pad.
  3. Attach the pad to the bottom of the glove and apply pressure for at least 30 seconds.
  4. Allow the glue to cure for 24 hours to fully bond.

Step 6: Happy Customers!

All custom-printed pairs of gloves were delivered to the athletes, coaches, and parents on July 7, 2021 at the Wichita State University tennis courts. Special thanks to Leann Funk, Rolf Beers, and all the athletes and coaches for their valuable input and time.